Newsletter #05 – June 2026
Dear colleagues, partners, and friends of the NUM Study Network,
given the weather conditions lately, here’s a hot rather than warm welcome to the fifth edition of the NUM Study Network newsletter.
The past weeks have been filled with exciting news about new developments in our network. More than 190 participants followed our online onboarding event in March, which demonstrates the overall great interest in joining our community. An additional special fund promises strong tailwind for the next years, through which our sailing fleet will gather further speed. With the help of this fund, we’ll be off to new waters such as opening up our recruiting strategy to include vulnerable groups or marketing the NUM Study Network towards an international audience. Thank you to everyone who aided in finalizing the grant application!
We’re happy to share more news from our network with you in this newsletter.
Enjoy reading!
SPOTLIGHT
New Specialty Networks Have Joined Our Fleet
After years of careful preparation by countless estimated colleagues across various disciplines, our two new Specialty Networks Stroke and Critical Care have finally received their official funding approvals. Congratulations and may you always have fair winds and following seas!
👉 Learn more about the launches further down in this newsletter
NEWS FROM THE NUM STUDY NETWORK
Building Bridges for Research: NUM Study Network Meets DEGAM-ForNet
The future of medical research lies in collaboration across sectoral boundaries. Since primary care practices are the first point of contact in the healthcare system for most patients, increased research activity in this setting bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and everyday care.
On 27 March 2026, representatives of the NUM Study Network and the NUKLEUS (Lighthouse) infrastructure met with representatives of the initiative of German Research Practice Networks (DEGAM-ForNet) for an in-depth exchange.
The common goal was to discuss ways to strengthen cross-sectoral research and to integrate the outpatient setting even more effectively into the Network of University Medicine (NUM) infrastructure, establishing a bridge to the NUM Study Network.
The focus was on communication structures in the rollout process of clinical trials, addressing the following questions:
- How can we specifically reach research practices for clinical trials?
- How can we design processes to be as simple and efficient as possible in order to sustainably increase the participation of primary care practices in clinical trials?
- How can we develop tailored strategies for implementing joint projects that align with the goals of the NUM Study Network and the research practice networks?
To improve tomorrow’s healthcare, research findings must reach the places where most patients receive their initial and long-term care: their primary care physicians’ offices. Through collaboration between inpatient research and outpatient care, we are creating a database that holistically reflects the reality of patients’ lives in Germany.
Workshop on the Rollout Process for Clinical Trials Within the NUM Study Network
The NUM Study Network works at facilitating an efficient and quality-assured process for the rollout of multicenter clinical trials in Germany. To this end, colleagues from several administrative coordination teams within the NUM Study Network met on 26 March 2026 for a joint workshop in Würzburg.
The focus was on the rollout process for clinical trials within the NUM Study Network, with the goal of further refining workflows, optimizing interfaces, and enabling an even smoother implementation across all sites. The insights gained will soon be put into practice.
Consulting Services Offered by Research Infrastructures in the Network of University Medicine
How can we provide targeted support to researchers in the Network of University Medicine (NUM)? To address this key question, the NUM’s research infrastructures met on 11 March 2026 at the Clinical Research Center of Hannover Medical School.
At the invitation of the NUM Methods & Biosamples Hub, the NUM Study Network, together with the other NUM research infrastructures NUKLEUS, NUM-SAR, NATON & NAREG, AKTIN, and RACOON, had the opportunity to discuss the existing consulting services. The discussion focused on how the various advisory services offered by the NUM research infrastructures are integrated to provide efficient and high-quality support for clinical trials.
NUM Study Network Hits Two Trade Fairs
This spring, the NUM Study Network and the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases seized two opportunities to showcase themselves with exhibition booths.
The cluster conference of the Cluster Medizin.NRW networking initiative took place on March 25, 2026, in Düsseldorf under the motto “Cutting-Edge Medicine from Northrhine-Westphalia in Germany, Europe, and the World.” In addition to a keynote address by our spokesperson Janne Vehreschild, interested attendees could learn more about the NUM Study Network at a booth in the integrated exhibition.
From April 17 to 21, the coordination teams of the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases and the NUM Study Network staffed a booth at ESCMID Global in Munich. The conference on infectious diseases and clinical microbiology was attended by an estimated 18,000 experts. Over the course of the five-day conference, the booth attracted a large number of researchers, representatives from organizations, and industry partners, who received detailed information and advice from the two teams. This resulted in many new contacts that may lead to new partnerships.
Participation in exhibitions is key to raising the profile of the NUM Study Network and its specialty networks, so we will increasingly offer our services to a national and international audience of experts.
New Marketing Flyers Available
The coordination team of the NUM Study Network has issued new flyers that provide information about the services of the NUM Study Network. Furthermore, an insert flyer about the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases is already available, more insert flyers on other important bodies of the NUM Study Network, for instance the initial contact office (“Erstkontaktstelle”), will be published soon.
👉 Download the flyers via the NUM Hub or contact the coordination team
NEWS FROM THE SPECIALTY NETWORK INFECTIOUS DISEASES
New Collaboration With the Japan Institute for Health Security
The Network of University Medicine (NUM) agreed to work more closely together with the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS). To this end, NUM and JIHS signed a memorandum of understanding to further their cooperation.
The JIHS coordinates research and development, monitors infectious diseases, and advises the government on issues of health security and crisis management. Of particular interest is the iCROWN project, a national network for clinical research on infectious diseases involving 65 participating institutions.
The Specialty Network Infectious Diseases strongly benefits from this new partnership, particularly in connection with the iCROWN project, and looks forward to contributing its own expertise.
First Ebola Patient Included
The Specialty Network Infectious Diseases has seen a good opportunity to test its adaptability. After a patient arrived in Berlin for treatment following an Ebola infection in the Congo, the Specialty Network Infectious Diseases activated a mechanism designed specifically for such situations: The so-called “Pathogen X” in the master study protocol – reserved for pathogens of particular interest – was activated for Ebola for the first time following a decision by the Steering Committee of the specialty network, which allowed the patient to be included in the cohort studies.
Many thanks to our colleagues at Charité Berlin, who made this possible through their great dedication, as well as to the Steering Committee for their swift decision.
And most importantly: The patient was discharged after successful treatment. Get well soon!
NEWS FROM THE SPECIALTY NETWORK STROKE
Successful Kick-Off Meeting of the Specialty Network Stroke
In February, the Specialty Network Stroke joined the fleet of the NUM Study Network, next to Specialty Networks Critical Care and Infectious Diseases. The start of the network marks an important step toward strengthening collaborative stroke research across Germany.
Around 40 participants joined the kick-off meeting, which took place on 27–28 April 2026 in Hamburg. The guest list included representatives from the first funded sites within the NUM Study Network, with experts in adult stroke and pediatric stroke. Over two days, the kick-off meeting focused on updates on the current state of readiness, on planned stroke trials, for instance the upcoming cohort study Stroke-CORE, and of course on networking.
The Specialty Network Stroke is looking forward to the next steps in launching the first studies and to strengthening stroke research nationwide.
NEWS FROM THE SPECIALTY NETWORK CRITICAL CARE
Specialty Network Critical Care Also Kicks It Off
This spring, our Specialty Network Critical Care received their official funding approval after more than 18 months of intense preparations, which marks the official start of the network with retroactive effect to 1 February 2026. At the digital kick-off event on 17 April 2026, approximately 250 participants learned about the network’s structure, the roles of the participating sites, and the planned studies.
With this, the foundation for a high-performance clinical network for critically ill patients aged 0–100+ with acute organ dysfunction is laid. Pediatrics is structurally integrated as a separate interdisciplinary module. The Specialty Network Critical Care has the commitment to further developing clinical research in intensive care medicine in Germany in a structured, professional, and sustainable manner.
And even more good news for CritCare: The funding approval for the use case ADAPT-LUNG has also arrived only recently.
Welcome to the NUM Study Network!
CALLS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Second NUM Connect Lunch on “Single Point of Entry”
The series NUM Connect Lunch provides insights into administrative topics within the Network of University Medicine (NUM) in an informal setting. The meeting also offers an ideal networking opportunity for all administrative coordinators and PIs in the NUM and the NUM Study Network.
The second NUM Connect Lunch will focus on the topic of “Single Point of Entry,” for which Maren Hülsemann from the Coordination Office of the Network of University Medicine (NUM) has been invited.
The services, data resources, and support offered by the NUM research infrastructures are constantly growing, but are often difficult for researchers to navigate. At the same time, the access routes, appropriate points of contact, and processes vary among the these infrastructures.
The Single Point of Entry (SPoE) is intended to serve as a central entry point to provide guidance, direct researchers to the appropriate resources based on their needs, and improve the visibility and usability of the NUM research infrastructures. Furthermore, a ticket system will be established to handle inquiries in a structured manner. At the second NUM Connect Lunch, an initial version of the prototype will be presented, followed by a discussion intended to provide further input for the development of the SPoE.
The NUM Connect Lunch team is looking forward to many interested participants.
Date: Thursday, 2 July 2026
Time: 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM
Join via this link
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NFDI4Health Friday Lecture and Information Package
Our partner NFDI4Health invites you to its Friday Lecture, an online event where participants will receive an overview of the NFDI4Health service portfolio. Two core services will also be presented in more detail: the Health Study Hub, a platform for searching for health-related research data and study information, and the NFDI4Health Helpdesk, a central point of contact for advice and support in research data management.
Date: Friday, 10 July 2026
Time: 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM
👉 Register for free
If you’d like to get an overview on NFDI4Health and its services in advance, you can download the digital information package from their website.
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